UQ and the United Kingdom

Building healthier and happier communities

UQ's close relationship with the UK is strong bonds with government and industry, close collaboration on strategic research projects, and significant student mobility. The QUEX Institute of Global Sustainability and Wellbeing brings together researchers from UQ and the University of Exeter to address major global challenges. Other key areas of collaborative research include infrastructure, medicine and sustainability, with a focus on transforming the future for our communities.

Fast facts



60

UK students enrolled at UQ


1,153

UK-UQ co-publications


202

academic staff born in the UK


180

research project collaborations


2,984

alumni in the UK


30

agreements with 20 official partners

Fast facts show full year 2023 data. 

Collaboration in action

  • Nine excellent initiatives have been approved for $74,350 in funding in the 2021 UQ Global Strategy and Partnerships Seed Funding Scheme. A total of 19 eligible applications were received for this round, amounting to $171,350 in requested funding.
  • Africa is often referred to as the cradle of humankind – the birthplace of our species, Homo sapiens. There is evidence of the development of early symbolic behaviours such as pigment use and perforated shell ornaments in Africa, but so far most of what we know about the development of complex social behaviours such as burial and mourning has come from Eurasia.

  • Holding off the rise of superbugs could be achieved by ‘resuscitating’ old antibiotics, with The University of Queensland researchers leading an international project to help combat the growing threat.
  • Venom from spitting cobras has evolved to cause predators extreme pain as a form of self-defence, rather than for capturing prey, according to new research.
  • University of Queensland final year student Justin Clarke is bound for Oxford University after being named Queensland’s 2021 Rhodes Scholar.

  • A University of Queensland-led team of international researchers says supercharged “clones” of the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes are to blame for the resurgence of the disease, which has caused high death rates for centuries.

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Alumni

The UK is home to one of the largest UQ alumni communities. More than 2,984 alumni live there. Alumni with significant links to the UK include:

Professor of Law at London School of Economics and a retired High Court judge (Bachelor of Arts (Hons), LLB (Hons), Bachelor of Economy, Doctor of Laws honoris causa 2015)
Director, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics; Professor of Statistical Science; Fellow of St Anne's College, the University of Oxford (Bachelor of Science (Hons) 1980)
Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, Aon (Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering 1992)
Consultant, Handelsbanken Wealth & Asset Management (London) & Member of the Board of Advisors, UQ Business School (Bachelor of Economics Hons. 1997, PhD 2007)
Infrastructure and Healthcare Sector Adviser (London) & former Trustee, University of Queensland UK Trust (Bachelor of Commerce 1990, Bachelor of Laws 1995)
Partner, Cadwalader London & Dublin (Bachelor of Commerce 1991, Bachelor of Laws 1995)
Vice-President and Global Head - Europe and Asia, HARMAN International (MBA 1997)
Chief Strategy Officer, Impax Asset Management; Chaired the UK Government’s Climate and Energy G7 Presidency in 2022 & Non-executive Director to the Board of the Met Office (Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) 1996)
Chair in Rehabilitation Science and Physiotherapy, University of Birmingham (Bachelor of Physiotherapy 1999, PhD 2003)
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Surrey (PhD 1991).
International bestselling Australian author (Bachelor of Arts (Hons) 1999, Master of Philosophy 2002)
Australian High Commissioner to United Kingdom 2018 to 2022 (Bachelor of Arts (Hons) 1979, Bachelor of Laws (Hons) 1980)
Global Chief Financial Officer - DGA Group London, UK (Bachelor of Commence 1992)
Entrepreneur in Residence Techstars & Founder Deeptech Insider London (Bachelor of Pharmacy 2008)
Founder & Chief Operating Officer at Space Ape Games London (Bachelor of Science 1999, LLB Hons. 2000)
Commercial Director, Tate (Associate Diploma of Business, Hospitality 1993)